Finding Integrity
by bootsontheground
Summary: "When everything seems to be lacking in integrity, you find it in yourself" (Dr. Henry McCord). Madam Secretary Prompt: (Family Separation) Elizabeth forces them to allow her in to change the caged baby, and then refuses to put the crying child down, instead attempting to soothe him. AND When Elizabeth gets arrested, she doesn't go quietly.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is a story I've been working on for awhile. The subject matter- as an American- has hit sharply. I wept while watching the two-part episode. Some things shouldn't be fiction. I am sorry to all those who have been pained by my country's actions. I am so sorry for what we have allowed to be done, and I wish that meant anything.

Disclaimer: I do not own Madam Secretary and portions of the dialogue were taken from the show directly and, so, are not mine.

**Madam Secretary Prompt: (Family Separation) Elizabeth forces them to allow her in to change the caged baby, and then refuses to put the crying child down, instead attempting to soothe him. **_**AND **_**When Elizabeth gets arrested, she doesn't go quietly.**

_"But those who toiled knew nothing of the dreams of those who planned."_

(_Metropolis_, 1927)

…

The warehouse was extremely dim when they entered, the closest light inside coming from around 5 to 7 yards away- a small desk lamp that rested on a foldable table with a stool tucked underneath. The deputy led them inside- past the desk lamp and rounding rows of shelving filled with unlabeled cardboard boxes- until they came upon a well lit area, where instead of shelves lining the rows, it was chain link fencing. On the other side of the fencing, were the small, curled into themselves, bodies of little children. Little brown children.

Bright lights hovered over every few feet, casting a dull, yellow glow upon their faces. The sound of crying was at a constant, and Elizabeth was surprised she hadn't heard them when she entered the building.

Elizabeth reached out to touch the metal fence, weaved with hooks latching together, snagging on all that passed by. This could hurt them. If they became even more distraught, they may try to break out and scratch themselves on the fence.

She looked toward the shining light. Kids didn't know any better than to stare directly at light, like the sun. It was bad for their eyes, but they didn't know that. And what about at night? Were these lights turned off? If they weren't, they could prevent them from sleeping, give them nausea, or insomnia. Make them sick _and_ distraught.

The children looked hungry. When had they last been fed? Some of the younger ones had stains on their clothes. Who was changing them? Who was comforting them? They were scared. They were separated from the people they loved, who had been tasked to protect them.

A small boy sat a few feet from the fence, on one of the many mattresses scattered about. His cheeks were stained with tears, but he no longer was crying, just simply staring out into the distance. Her eyes met his. He looked back at her, unsurprised to see a lady on the other side of the fence, looking at him. Elizabeth's eyes instinctively ran over him, checking for any visible injuries. There was a dark wet spot on his jeans. Elizabeth took a deeper breath in, leaning in closer to him. He had wet himself. Someone needed to change him.

Elizabeth swallowed thickly. They had taken that someone from him. The person who had vowed to care for him. They had stripped him of that comfort. They had taken the first person to have ever loved him, out of spite and hatred, and left him here- out of sight, out of mind.

A guard stood a few feet from her and the boy. He stared straight ahead.

Elizabeth stood from her crouched position, and walked over to face him. "Are you going to change him?"

"Excuse me?" He looked at her with slight confusion.

"The child there. He needs to be changed."

"The child aides make their rounds every three hours."

Elizabeth let out an incredulous huff. "Three hours… that's not… have you_ had_ children?"

The guard did not reply.

"Do you have anything I can use to change him?"

No reply.

"I will be changing him either way, so I suggest you give me something."

"No one but the child aides are allowed inside."

"The child aides?"

"In case they harm anyone."

"They're children!"

"Still, ma'am, they have tempers."

"They have been separated from their families, of course they're upset!"

No answer.

"Let me in, I swear to-"

"Madam Secretary." Kat spoke up from behind her. "There is a door right here; the lock is very rudimentary."

Elizabeth almost laughed. It was one of those cheap locks that could be easily undone with a q-tip. "Yes!"

Kat fished a small q-tip out of her purse, and quickly turned to insert it but was stopped by a gentle hand on her wrist.

Elizabeth shook her head and took the q-tip from her. "I can't let them arrest my policy guy." Instead she shoved the q-tip in herself, unlocking the fence to the dismay of the guard, and running toward the young boy.

The children suddenly became quieter, the cries lowering to sniffles and shuffles away from Elizabeth.

"Ma'am, please exit that side of the fencing."

"Not until you hand over those supplies."

The guard bit his lip, turning to the deputy. The officer hesitantly nodded, allowing the guard to retrieve a duffle bag from around the corner.

Kat took the bag from him, leaning in from where she stood in the gateway to hand it off to the secretary.

"Thank you, Kat." Elizabeth bent down to the little boy. "Hola, niño. Yo soy aquí ayudo." _Damn, I should have focused more on Spanish in highschool. _

"Ella está aquí para ayudar. No tengas miedo." Kat spoke up.

The boy seemed to relax slightly at this, crying out and shifting uncomfortably where he sat.

"He seems barely old enough to walk." Elizabeth muttered, unable to keep the disgust out of her voice. She began to speak soft words of comfort that she was sure the boy didn't understand, but her tone was warm and soft and motherly, comforting him and putting him at ease until he was comfortable enough that she could change him.

The boy blinked up at her the entire time she was changing him. She gave him soft smiles and kissed his forehead when the process was finished.

"Cuál es su nombre?" Kat asked gently.

The boy blinked, shifting to sit up beside Elizabeth.

"Their names are on the tags." The guard offered.

Elizabeth bit back a sigh and checked the child's wrist. _Daniel._ She went to get up, but small hands reached urgently up at her. The boy's eyes were brimming with tears and he cried out again. Elizabeth could stand it no longer and took him up in her arms, wiping his tears, and rocking back and forth.

"Secretary Elizabeth McCord!" The governor's billowing voice jolted everyone into alertness.

Daniel scrambled in Elizabeth's arms, clinging tighter to her. Loud American men were not his friend.

"You are trespassing on Arizona state property."

"Am I really?" Elizabeth bit back.

"You've tricked your way in here, grandstanding for the press on your self-promotion tour, but you are a long way from the federal swamp you call home."

"Well, Governor, if Washington, D.C. is a swamp, what's this?"

"It's none of your business, that's what it is."

"Why? Are you ashamed of this?"

"Why would I be ashamed of protecting the people of my state?" He looked insulted.

"Because it involves the kidnapping of children."

"Their parents are criminals."

"They are asylum-seekers." Elizabeth could hear Kat grinding her teeth in frustration behind her.

"They are criminals; they ruined their own country and now they've come to ruin ours!"

Elizabeth took a breath. "The Mexican government would like their citizens to be released."

The governor scoffed. "That government has no authority here. This is not Mexico."

"I think the ambassador's demand is on humanitarian grounds." Kat cut in.

"I don't care if it's on grounds of coffee! This is my state and my rules. Lucky for you, I'm feeling charitable today. Y'all can exit peaceably through the back without talking to any press, and I'll let you leave this state without incident."

"I think we're way past that, governor." Elizabeth whispered.

"There's a sheriff out front with a warrant for your arrest. I am giving you the opportunity to ease your way politely outta here!"

Elizabeth pursed her lips. Daniel had his head rested against her shoulder, and despite the loud voices he seemed to have lulled into a half-sleep.

"Look around, Governor. This cannot be hidden from the American people. This can't be ignored."

"I suggest you get moving before I invite the good sheriff in here to come get you." The governor shifted before pointing at Daniel. "Deputy, why don't you put the boy back in his place?"

Elizabeth glared at the encroaching officer, holding Daniel tighter. The boy began to whine as he came to, the tenseness in the air and the secretary's grip waking him.

"Go ahead; Secretary McCord has no claim on the child. The state of Arizona does."

Elizabeth couldn't bring herself to hand over the boy, but just as she was turning to lay Daniel down herself, the silent deputy gripped his legs and yanked him out from beneath her grip. Her heart jumped in panic in the moment before the Deputy safely gathered Daniel and carried the wailing toddler behind the fence again.

"Did you think you can intimidate me or shut me up? Don't test Arizona justice, ma'am." The governor gestured towards the exit.

Elizabeth tore her eyes from the still distraught Daniel, his cries tearing at her as she walked out into the light of the Arizona sun. She found she could not hear him once the door closed. She could though, hear the hundreds of people gathered outside protesting and demanding for the reunification of the children and their parents.

...


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Madam Secretary and portions of the dialogue were taken from the show directly and, so, are not mine.

...

"Saint Francis said, "All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle." Father Dinardo stirred the crowd. "That's right! If it took a visit from the Secretary of State to shine a light on the darkness inside this building, then praise the Lord for sending her. And God bless and protect those children, our little brothers and sisters in the Lord's kingdom!"

One of the reporter's lunged forward. "Why did you come to Arizona, Madam Secretary? What did you see in there? Are the children being mistreated?"

Another reporter shoved the other to get his bit in. "What kind of care do they have in there?"

Someone shouted from within the throng. "What do you hope to prove?"

Elizabeth could feel the moist spot on her shoulder from Daniel's tears.

"I came here to see for myself what's going on behind these walls. And what I saw is an affront to decency and an assault on our country's core values… Children separated from their parents, in cages, crying, terrified, lacking basic care.

She huffed. "And the governor believes it's a deterrent... This is not the time for silence or well meaning speeches! This is a time for action! We are not this! We have fought against what we used to be, and the atrocities that we have committed! We are still fighting against our pasts! This- this abuse of power! This hatefulness is no longer us. And we must destroy it before it takes root again. We must condemn it and cut it away with everything we have!"

The governor stepped forward, leaning into her slightly from behind. "You may want to stop there, Madam Secretary. The state of Arizona does not take kindly to instigators of violence and criminal behavior."

Elizabeth's eyes narrowed, and she turned to face him, her back to the crowd. "I WILL NOT BACK DOWN!"

The governor stumbled backward, ears tender at the proximity of her announcement. Once he was steady, he gestured to the sheriff. "I warned you, lady."

"It's Secretary McCord to you, buddy." Elizabeth snipped back.

"You can either come quietly, or your chance at the presidency," he motioned to the press cameras and phones out and recording, "will be shot to hell."

Elizabeth smirked. "Oh, I'm not worried about that. I'm currently tackling human rights violations- a genuine international issue. I doubt the voters would mind."

The governor glowered at her and then turned, grabbing the sheriff by the arm, and whispered aggressively in his ear. The sheriff looked alarmed, but upon a steady glare from the governor, snapped his fingers at two of the nearby deputies.

"Bailey. Shamos. Restrain Mrs. McCord. Use all necessary precautions."

Bailey- a wiry and permanently scowled man in his late 20s- stepped forward. Shamos though- a brown haired boy that resembled Shaggy from little Alison's Scooby Doo cartoons- looked nervously at the crowd.

"Sir?" Shamos looked pleadingly at his supervisor.

The sheriff scowled at him, instead gesturing to a middle aged, healthy looking man with Hiley written on his tag. "Officer Hiley, please restrain Mrs. McCord for promoting illegal and unregistered protesting against the state."

Officer Hiley looked pleased with the assignment.

As he stepped towards Elizabeth, she instinctively stepped back.

"Do not resist!" The words immediately shot out of Bailey's mouth. He grabbed her arm roughly.

Elizabeth yanked it back.

Hiley pulled out his handcuffs.

Bailey grabbed both her arms, twisting her to hold them behind her back, forcing her to face the crowd, and leave her back vulnerable to the deputies. Elizabeth tried to turn, but let out a surprised cry of pain when she felt Bailey forcibly twist her wrist until she was forced to lean backwards to try and alleviate the pain.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." Hiley was directly behind Elizabeth, clicking the handcuffs around her wrists as Bailey held her there, twisted backward.

Elizabeth made her decision: it was time for action.

"You have-"

Elizabeth swung her right leg forward, owning the surprise momentum, and slamming it backward into Hiley. Her heel landed just off to the side of his groin and as he reached instinctively- face automatically contorting itself in surprised pain- for the space between his legs, he let go of the cuffs, letting them swing from one wrist. Bailey too, surprised at the sudden movement, loosened his grip, allowing Elizabeth to retch forward and throw her hands in the air victory style.

Knowing she had only moments before the sheriff would order them back on her, Elizabeth shouted quickly. "WHEN EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE LACKING IN INTEGRITY, YOU FIND IT-" the heavy hand of a pissed off Hiley slammed into her and grabbed hold of her upper arm. Elizabeth tried to keep her feet steady on the ground, turning to the crowd once more. "YOU FIND IT IN YOURSELF!"

In that moment, from miles away in Washington DC, Henry felt his heart stop for a good couple of seconds. Eyes glued to the screen, he watched the second deputy- Bailey- run from where he had stood frozen and tackle Elizabeth to the ground, a nearby cameraman allowing him to hear the thunk her head made as it hit the concrete.

From behind a line of officers, Kat cried out. "Secretary!"

Elizabeth did not lift her head to respond.

Bailey and Hiley finished clicking and tightening the cuffs and then on 1 2 3, hoisted her up for the world to see. Behind them, the governor winced; so much for not making a martyr of the woman.

A small edge of rock had connected with the edge of Elizabeth's hairline, breaking skin and bathing her face with blood. She looked deceptively close to death.

"Elizabeth!" Henry cried out, oblivious to the emptiness of their house.

Hiley huffed as he pushed her towards the ramp leading to the squad car.

Elizabeth stared straight ahead, lips sealed. The governor was going to have to work for it. The deputies scrambled to hold her upright as she jelly legged on them.

"Ma'am!" Bailey grit out. "We will drag you if we must, but I suggest you try and keep some dignity."

The image of the guard's rough hands on the baby's legs flashed through her mind.

"No, thank you."

Bailey and Hiley grunted as Elizabeth limped her entire body, forcing them to drag her to the police vehicle. It took them two whole minutes to drag her there, with the crowd chanting and crying the entire time.

The car door finally slammed inches from her face. That should get people up and going, Elizabeth thought. She leaned back in her seat. Even if she got fired today, she was not going to let this go on for a minute more than she could stop it. Dignity be damned; humanity is more important than ego.

A small smile inched itself across her face; Will would be so proud. Maybe even Jason.

...


End file.
